Rubber plumber

ABSTRACT

A molded element having a resilient portion and a tapered end and an outward extending flange adjacent opposite ends of the resilient portion for pressedly connecting a sink faucet with a drain pipe in fluid communication.

United States Patent 1191 Curzon RUBBER PLUMBER [76] Inventor: Joseph H. Curzon, 8103 14th Ave,

A ene M 7.83,

22 Filed: Apr. 20, 1971 21 App1.No.: 135,653

[51] Int. Cl. E03c 1/306 [58] Field of Search 4/255, 256, 257

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 994,442 6/1911 Coles 4/256 303,858 8/1884 Kelsey 4/256 937,458 10/1909 Mulherin 4/256 1,825,582 9/1931 Connelly 4/256 X 1,925,359 9/1933 Alonso 4/256 1,983,600 12/1934 Christie 4/256 Jan. 29, 1974 Woodward 4/256 2,430,739 11/1947 3,064,275 11/1962 Allen 4/256 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 288,586 9/1931 Italy 4/255 428,382 12/1947 Italy 4/255 Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite Assistant Examiner-Donald B. Massenberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alexander B. Blair 57' ABSTRACT A molded element having a resilient portion and a tapered end and an outward extending flange adjacent opposite ends of the resilient portion for pressedly connecting a sink faucet with a drain pipe in fluid communication.

4 Claims, 4 DrawingFigures RUBBER PLUMBER This invention relates to a drain cleaning device.

A primary object of this invention is a simple and inexpensive method of unstopping sinks.

Another object of this invention is an efficient and 'quick method of unstopping sinks requiring a minimum of manual labor, parts, and tools.

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device in use;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a sink faucet 20 having a gooseneck 22 at the end thereof and overlying a sink bottom 24 at a sink basin 26. Mountedwithin a drain hole 28 within sink bottom 24 is a crumb cup receiver 30. A lock nut 32 tightly secures receiver 30 against the top surface of hole 28 with sealing 34 positioned between drain hole 28 and receiver 30 and lock nut 32 for preventing water leakage. The bottom 36' of receiver 30 tapers down to a narrow neck 38 which is secured to a drain pipe 40 by means of a seal 42 and a threaded ring 44 to prevent water leakage. A grate or spider 46 is located within neck 38 just below bottom 36 to prevent large objects from falling down into drain pipe 40.

A hollow longitudinal element 50, preferably comprised of hard molded rubber and of generally cylindrical shape, is manufactured so that the length thereof is slightly greater than the distance between the end of gooseneck 22 and the abutment 52 of bottom 36 and neck 38 at the inside surfaces thereof. The consumer will preferably have a choice of buying varying lengths of elements 50 that will be pre-manufactured for different sized faucet-sink arrangements that have been and are being installed in .homes and apartments.

.The top portion of element 50 has a uniform thickness wall 54 forming a uniform cylindrical bore 56 therewithin and being of a thickness that can withstand up to 25 or more pounds per square inch pressure without buckling fromits rigid longitudinal shape. The top portion of element 50 ends near the bottom of element 50 in an outward projecting flange 58 having approximately twice the thickness of the top portion of element 50 at its thickest portion.

Flange 58 tapers down to a point where element 50 now comprises a n rrow wall 60 less than half the thickness of wall 54. Wall 60 has a configuration forming a plurality of inner and outer" loops 62 as clearly seen along the center cross-section. of element 50 in FIG. 1. Loops 62 extend into a contoured end 64 having the same thickness as that of wall 54 at its thickest pointand having a bottom taper 66 so that the outer diameter thereof decreases to a point where the diameter at the bottom end 68 has an outer diameter less than the, inner diameter of neck 38.

Element 50 is mounted in place by first positioning tapered bottom 66 over abutment 52. A downward FIG. 2vis a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG.

60 to buckle and loops 62 to compress against each other due to the reduced thickness, the configuration, and the resiliency of the hard molded rubber. Flange 58 is now closer to contoured end 64 and the top of element is now below the level of the bottom end of gooseneck 22. Faucet 20 is swung into position over receiver 30 and element 50, and the top end of element 50 is then squeezed over the end of gooseneck 22 with a band 70 tightened over the outer surface of element 50 to assure a leakproof fit by means of a screw 72 and a nut 74. With the top end of element 50 raised and squeezed over gooseneck 22, loops 62 will expand slightly from each other; however, there will still be sufficient pressure exerted on contour end 64 to form a leakproof fit between tapered bottom 66 and abutment 52. Spider 46 does not hinder the pressure fit between tapered bottom 66 and abutment 52 because there is no physical contacts between spider 46 and bottom end 68. Now that element 50 is securely fixed in place, the housewife may turn on either the hot or the cold water which will clean out drain pipe 40 due to the pressure of the water entering drain pipe 40 from bore 56. The housewife may tend to other things in the meantime while the device is in use.

While preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the ter slightly less than the outside diameter of the end of gooseneck 22 obviating the necessity for band 70 due to a tight leakproof fit formed by expanding bore 56 at point 80 so that sufficient pressure is exerted against gooseneck 22 by the hard rubber wall 54 which is now depressed at point 82.

I claim: I

l. A drain cleaner for a sink with a crumb cup receiver having a tapered bottom abutting a narrow neck therebelow having a grate mounted therewithin and and with a faucet having one position directly overlying the crumb cup receiver, comprising a single resilient element having a longitudinal bore therethrough, said element having an elongate upper portion formed of relatively rigid hard molded'rubber, the length of said element being greater than the distance from the bot tom of said, faucet to'the juncture of said tapered bottom and said narrow neck, the end of said faucet and 4 said neck physically matable in sealed relation with oppressing force is then exerted on flange 58 causing wall posite ends of said element in a fluid communication fit, and compression means integrally formed on the lower end of said upper portion of said element for resiliently altering said element length and releasably pressedly connecting said element with said faucet and said neck.

2. The drain cleaning device of claim 1, wherein said compression means includes a portion of saidelement having a wall of reduced thickness and of a wavy configuration.

3. The drain cleaning device of claim 2, wherein said element includes a portion having an enlarged thickness wall adjacent said wall of reduced thickness to form a hand grip for said element allowing said wavy configuration to be manually-compressed.

4. The drain cleaning device of claim 3, including a tapered bottom integrally formed on the lower end of said element and slidably and pressedly matable with said crumb cup neck and spacedly positioned from said grate within said neck. 

1. A drain cleaner for a sink with a crumb cup receiver having a tapered bottom abutting a narrow neck therebelow having a grate mounted therewithin and and with a faucet having one position directly overlying the crumb cup receiver, comprising a single resilient element having a longitudinal bore therethrough, said element having an elongate upper portion formed of relatively rigid hard molded rubber, the length of said element being greater than the distance from the bottom of said faucet to the juncture of said tapered bottom and said narrow neck, the end of said faucet and said neck physically matable in sealed relation with opposite ends of said element in a fluid communication fit, and compression means integrally formed on the lower end of said upper portion of said element for resiliently altering said element length and releasably pressedly connecting said element with said faucet and said neck.
 2. The drain cleaning device of claim 1, wherein said compression means includes a portion of said element having a wall of reduced thickness and of a wavy configuration.
 3. The drain cleaning device of claim 2, wherein said element includes a portion having an enlarged thickness wall adjacent said wall of reduced thickness to form a hand grip for said element allowing said wavy configuration to be manually compressed.
 4. The drain cleaning device of claim 3, including a tapered bottom integrally formed on the lower end of said element and slidably and pressedly matable with said crumb cup neck and spacedly positioned from said grate within said neck. 